


Sweep Me Off My Feet

by TheCaptainToMyHook



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, alternative unierse- strictly come dancing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-08-27 11:17:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8399593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCaptainToMyHook/pseuds/TheCaptainToMyHook
Summary: TV star Emma Swan has accepted a place on the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing, she's an actress not a dancer so she doesn't expect to do well at all, in her opinion- the sooner she is voted out the better. But will her opinion change when she is paired with "The Captain of the Dance Floor" Killian Jones- forced to work closely together, he will push her to her limit, but will it be worth it in the end?





	1. Partners

**Author's Note:**

> So this is yet another attempt of me trying my hand at writing, lets see how this goes....  
> Some information to help you along with this story-  
> For those that don't know the show Strictly Come Dancing (how can you not!) it is basically Dancing With The Stars- in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers and have to perform a new dance routine every week.  
> Emma is an actress on a TV show called ONCE, which she co-stars with David, who also happens to be her best friend. She is dating Neal.  
> I'm going to base my story in London, because that is what I know. But Emma is an American and works in Vancouver to film ONCE, but she is currently living in England with Neal. (confusing I know- sorry).  
> Ok I will stop talking now- I hope this goes well, and I do these characters justice.

_Oh god what am I doing!_ I am already regretting the decision to go on this stupid show and the whole ordeal hasn’t even started yet. I can’t say I particularly wanted to do the show, but after a long “chat” with my agent, it was rather apparent that I didn’t have much choice in the matter. Along with a stiff drink and some serious thought I decided it could be some fun- it’s not like I’ll be any good anyway; I’ll probably be voted off within the first few weeks. Six months ago I wouldn’t have even considered this, but after a major character death on ONCE, the ratings have seriously dropped, so the network thought the only option for promoting the new season was for me to be on this stupid dance show. When I had told David, my co-star and best friend, that I had accepted the place on the show he had practically wet himself with laughter- never have I seen someone take the acronym “ROFL” quite so literally, he was on his knees in laughter. To be fair, I suppose it isn’t all bad- once I told him how much I would be paid for the full 12 week series, he wasn’t laughing so hard anymore.

So that’s how I have ended up on a dance floor surrounded by 5 other women dressed in bejewelled dresses, waiting to know which poor guy has been assigned to trying to make me appear good at dancing. I’m wearing a short emerald dress, the wardrobe assistant said it would “ _bring out the green in my eyes_ ”- what a load of crap. It’s a nice enough dress except it is somewhat revealing, not even reaching mid-thigh, its tight, hugging my body, especially around the hips and bust- the dress obviously wasn’t made for naturally shaped women; only little stick figure dancers. My bust has been pushed together and up creating a cleavage I didn’t even know I had. I’m pretty sure I look like a hooker, I dread to think what my ass looks like. The green sheath dress is covered in sequins meaning even the slightest movements I make are obvious as the light catches the sequined tassels coating my body.

I can’t believe it but I am actually really nervous, I am worried about who I will be partnered with. I met most of the guys backstage I think, they all seemed lovely with great passions for what they do- but it still doesn’t stop me feeling nervous.

The presenter, Elsa Frost, has been talking for a while now, I’d zoned out while she droned on introducing the series, what is happening this episode and making some rather awful puns that make the audience groan. She introduces each of the ladies on stage, followed by a short video clip we filmed weeks ago, where we talk about ourselves, what we do and how we feel about the show- a lot of what I say in mine is lies, why on earth would I be thrilled to be on this show? I am going to make a complete and utter fool of myself. I plastered a smile on to my face, like the one I have in the video, knowing full well there could be at least five different studio cameras on me broadcasting my gormless face live around the country. Suddenly, the music being emitted around the studio changes, Elsa must have stopped her long spiel, it is deep and tense, pulsing out of the speakers. I become conscious of what is being said around me.

“So you’ve met our ladies, but now to find out who they will be dancing with for the next 12 weeks.” I glance over at the other side of the dance floor where 6 men all stand in different dancing attire- waiting with exaggerated nerves. My eyes roam along the line of hot men, from what I remember the one on the left is Robin, I met him weeks ago when I got my tour of the studios, he is stood next to Will- who is dressed in a pristine black tailcoat and white shirt. Next to him is Kris and Phil, I haven’t really spent much time with them- but they were very friendly when I met them. On the end of the row is Graham stood with a man in an extremely low cut black shirt- revealing an almost indecent amount of chest- there is no chance a woman could wear that shirt of live television, you would be able to see everything! This man must be Kieran, Grahams flat mate, or was his name Kian? _Damn I can’t remember_. I spent quite a bit of time with Graham backstage, I’d somehow been sent to the wrong dressing room this morning which turned out to be his- I ended up staying and talking with him for about half an hour, giving me all his insider knowledge of the show. He shared his dressing room with one of the other dancers, who he also happened to share a flat with-he spoke highly of him, but I didn’t actually meet him and now I can’t remember his name.

“So the first celebrity to find out their partner will be Merida, will you please step forward,” Elsa’s voice calls me to focus again on what is going on around me. The fiery red head I’d met earlier today in the lunch room stepped forward towards Elsa. “So our Olympic archer Merida, your partner will be…” the blonde presenter goes silent, looking directly at Merida prolonging the girl’s tension to unnecessary lengths. “Graham!”

 _Shit_! I was hoping I was going to get him, we seemed to get along really well earlier. Graham took a step forward away from the line of men, reaching his arms up he mimes pulling a bow and arrow back and releasing it to hit Merida- jumping in the air to celebrate his victory. Joining Merida he spins her under his arm, embracing her in a hug. They turn off together climbing the stairs to the interview studio.

Once the applause have died down Elsa continues. “Next we have Beverly Lucas, please step forward.” The older lady stood next to me goes down the steps we stand on to join Elsa. I recognise the name, I’m certain I haven’t met her but still I know her- Elsa said something about her being a baker. Then it dawns on me, she is Granny! As in the Granny, as in the Granny who owns the chain bakery Granny’s Diner- I love them! They do the best pastries, I can’t start a day on set without one of her bearclaws. I immediately decide that I want this woman to win the whole dance competition- she sure as hell deserves it, she has got me through 6 seasons of filming. “Beverly, you will be paired with…” again the ridiculous long pause, “Robin!” The light haired man runs forward, picks Granny up into the air, spinning in a circle. Once he lowers her back to the floor he takes her hand and leads her up the stairs, waving to the audience as they go.

“Our third celebrity up is Emma Swan,” Oh god that’s me my nerves multiply tenfold. On slightly shaky legs I pace forward, down the stairs to where Elsa is standing. “Emma, you are looking rather nervous, how are you feeling right now?”

“Quite nervous if I’m honest with you, all the guy are great and look absolutely amazing but I’m still quite nervous to see who I’ll be locked to for the next few weeks.” I easily answer her question, the cameras and mic boom above my head not phasing me at all.

“Well we won’t keep you waiting any longer, Emma you partner will be… Killian!”

 _Who?_ I turn to the line of men as the dark haired one on the end takes a calm step forward. So his name was Killian, not Kieran- I was close I guess. He strides close to myself and Elsa, then lowers himself onto one knee, grasping my hand he plants a soft kiss on the back of my knuckles. I know it is all an act, just a gimmick to make the women in the audience swoon for him, but I can’t help the blush that creeps up my next, settling on my cheeks making them tint a rosy pink colour. The man- Killian- raises to his feet and places our still combined hands onto my right hip so that his arm is woven around my waist, pulling us close together. I am staring at him, and he stares right back at me- his eyes are so bright, a cerulean blue- like the sky on a clear summer’s day- they are beautiful. He gives a little flick of his head towards the stairs hinting that it was time for us to make our way off the dance floor and away from the cameras. Lightly squeezing my hip he releases his grasp on my body, instead picking up my other hand and guiding me along to the stairs. Still holding my hand firmly we do a quick trot up the stairs, as we near the top I miss the step and slip onto my knees. Damn, that hurt. I quickly glance around and notice a camera pointed directly at me, shit, why me? Why do I have to be the one to fall on my arse on national TV? My gaze shifts to Killian who stands above me, still holding tightly onto my hand, he gives me a pull and I easily rise to my feet. _Damn these stupid high heels_ , I can barely walk in them, how on earth I am expected to learn to dance in them I have no idea.

A deeply accented voice pulls me from my inner moaning; “Steady love, we need those legs of yours to dance on.” I nod my head dumbly; staring at his mouth as his lilted voice pours from his lips, he returns my look with a slight smirking smile. I step further into the upstairs studio, away from any active cameras.

“Ha, well I’m not too sure how good these legs will be at dancing anyway- I doubt me tripping up will hinder my dancing skills all that much,” I say brushing down my knees as a crew member comes over to check I am okay. Once happy that no damage was done, he ushers myself and Killian over to a black sofa where a man sits with a camera set up pointing directly at the sofa. He quickly briefs us telling us that he was here to record a clip which would be edited into next week’s episode. We settle into the seat together, Killian taking on the easy stance of a man who has done this a hundred times before leaning back comfortably into the leather sofa, reaching his arm around my shoulder, guiding my body to lean into his.

The interviewer pushes a microphone towards me, “So Emma how do you feel with being partnered with “The Captain of the Dance Floor” Killian?”

Glancing briefly at Killian I answer, “Very happy, I’ve heard that he’s a really great guy, we haven’t spent any time together so I am looking forward to getting to know him.”

Killian nudges my side while slightly squeezing my shoulder, “Who have you been speaking to? Don’t believe anything they tell you- it’s all lies,” he jokes with a warm laugh. I join in with his chuckles, shaking my head at his antics as he suddenly sits up straight and frantically looks around the room as if he’s looking for the suspect who has spilled all his secrets to me.

“What about you Killian, have you heard anything about Emma?” the interviewer asks with a suggestive smile on his face, trying to join in with Killian’s fooling around.

“Only that she is a wonderful lass, with an amazing talent for acting- I’ve seen a few of her movies actually.” Surprised I turn to look at him, I haven’t been in many movies and they have all been directed under independent film companies in America, I didn’t think anyone this side of the pond has seen them. “I also know that she is a beautiful woman who is bound to look good strutting her stuff in the ballroom.”

“God, you’re going to have to put in a lot of work to make me look any good.” I reply, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the compliments he is paying me.

“Well it will be hard work, but I’m sure we will get there in the end and more importantly- we will look good doing it,” he said with a wink in my direction.

“So we’ve been told you will be doing the Charleston as your fist dance next week, how are you feeling about it?” the interviewer directs the question towards me, but Killian jumps in before I can answer.

“It’s a fun dance, so I’m sure we will have a rather entertaining week learning the dance. It will be tricky, but I have faith that Emma will work hard and be able to pull it off- how can she not? She has me as her partner.” Killian plays to the camera as he says that last part, looking directly down the lens, with a smirk firmly planted on his face. I roll my eyes at his arrogance, realising the camera was still filming I lighten my expression shaking my head is a rueful manner.

Our interview comes to an end when the next couple, who turns out to be Belle paired with Will, come up the stairs- we get directed again back stage where we can relax for a while before we have to return to the dance floor for the end of the episode. Once backstage away from anymore cameras I can finally relax, I find my phone, go sit down and flick threw some messages I’ve received whilst I was on TV, mostly from Mary Margret reading

 **-Yay you got the guy I wanted!** and **He is super cute, kind of jealous actually.-**

I send a quick reply to her

- **Hey, yeah he seems nice, I’ll ring you later tonight to talk. Also don’t forget you are married! Stop spying on my partner :P xx-**

Killian joins me on the sofa with two steaming cups of coffee I his hands, “Here you go love”, he says passing one of them to me. I take a deep breath, inhaling the deep and rich scent of the coffee beans- its far better than any coffee I ever get on set in Vancouver. “So we have a week, I suggest we meet tomorrow to plan out a rehearsal schedule that will work out for both of us.” The cheeky side I saw of Killian while in front of the cameras is all gone, he is all work and professionalism.

I nod, joining him in his serious manner, “Well I have no other commitments for the next 12 weeks- I’ve been told to devote all my time to the show- so you can have me as much as you like,” I splutter my coffee, looking away from him as I realise what I had just said, “I mean,” raising my eyes back to his, “I’m free to rehearse as much as possible.” _Why am I such an idiot_ , I should really start to think about what I am saying before I open my mouth! He looks at me with questioning eyes and a twinkle of a smile pulling at his lips.

His eyes scan my face for a moment, as if looking for something that I don’t even know is there- then his eyes snap back to mine and he is his serious business self again. “Good, we can use my studio to rehearse- except the days when the cameras need to come in, on those days we will come to the production studio here.” I stare at his face, trying to absorb all the information he is giving me. While he talks it gives me a chance to really appraise his features- Mary Margret was wrong, he isn’t cute; he is gorgeous. Surely the camera doesn’t do him justice, he is a fine specimen of man. His lips are pink and full, ever so slightly pouting when he stops to take a breath, he has a slender nose, and his eye are an ocean waiting for me to drown in. The sharp line of his jaw is slightly softened by the dark layer of scruffy stubble that peppers his face- but it does nothing to dull his beauty, if anything it enhances his attractiveness. “So shall we say 9 tomorrow morning we meet at my house?”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” At this he reaches for my phone that I still hold in my hand since sending a text to Mary Margret, clasping it in his palm he scrolls through the screen and onto my address book, creates a new contact and sends a message to his own phone from mine.

“There, now we both have each other’s number.” I peer down at the phone he has now returned to me and see the message he sent to his phone was a simple winky face emoji. As I am staring, trying to analyse the little yellow face he posted on my screen, a message from him pops up- it looks like an address. “That’s mine and Graham’s address- don’t go sharing it with anyone please I’ve had some rather unpleasant experiences with groupies in the past turning up at my door.”

Now that sounds like a story I want to hear in the future but I put that thought aside for now, and promise him I’ll keep his address to myself. “I’ll be there bright and early tomorrow.”

“Good- and don’t forget your dance kit, once we’ve got down a schedule we will begin rehearsals and believe me when I tell you, you will be working up a sweat with me.” Leaning in a degree closer he eyes me with an interesting stare, I can’t quite decipher what he meant- obviously I heard the double entendre he blatantly just shoved in my face but I can’t tell how he wants me to respond to it. My phone buzzes again and pulls me from my thoughts, saved by the bell- I pick it up and notice another text from Mary Margret-

- **yeah I know, but I doesn’t hurt to have little English fantasies.-**

I fire off a quick reply and then scroll through the other messages I didn’t read earlier, there is one from David and another two from Neal.

 **-You just won me 50$ from neal, thanks em X** –

I look at the text confused, I send back a simple ? as my reply, within seconds I get a response from David explaining further,

**-neal and I had a bet who youd be partnered with, and I won!-**

I don’t bother with replying, I can talk with him on the phone later when I call Mary Margret. Next I open the messages from Neal the first reads-

**-Emma you just lost me 50 bucks!-**

The second text displaying the message

- **when does this show end Em? its kind of boring-**

 _Ah ever my supporting boyfriend_. I ignore his messages, putting my phone away and looking around the room. Killian is still sat next to me, scrolling through what looks to be Facebook on his phone. The room is full of people now, everyone seems to be paired up and happy- I look around for the people I know- Graham and Merida seem to already be planning out something on a scrap of paper, while Belle, Will, Phil and Aurora are all sat together chatting.

The stage manager walks in at this moment, telling us to all get ready to head back onto the dance floor to have the final goodbye for the end of the episode. Killian stands up sharply, laying his hand out in front of me, I take it and he guide me to my feet. He doesn’t let go of my hand at all as we walk through the corridors and back out onto the dance floor with the rest of the contestants, holding me close to him all the while. Maybe this show won’t be so bad, Killian is fun and friendly- even if I am awful at dancing, I’m sure we’ll have a blast trying to do it all. It’s been a while since I have actually been challenged in any way, so this will be good for me, it’s about time I pushed myself.

Later that night, after a few rounds of drinks with all the other contestants after the show, I climb into a taxi. I sit back and relax while I am driven home. Everyone else’s enthusiasm for the show must have rubbed off on me- because I am suddenly really excited to get started with my rehearsals, I can’t wait to see Killian tomorrow, and I’ve decided that I actually want to try and win this stupid competition.


	2. First Rehearsal

I get up early the next day, I’m use to early starts; often having to get up early for 5am filming starts. I climb out of my bed at 6:30, donning a pair of trainers, leggings and crop top- I set out for a run at 6:30. I enjoy running, it is my favourite way to keep fit, and god knows I would be the size of an elephant by now with the amount of food I eat if I wasn’t running all the time. I take pleasure in the feeling of my feet hitting the hard earth, it grounds me somehow, making me feel peaceful in a way I can’t fully explain. It give me a chance to be by myself, alone with my thoughts. It is a rare occasion when I am alone- I’m always surrounded by people, if it’s not Neal then its David and Mary Margret, or makeup artists, directors and personal assistants or my fans- I never seem to be alone. I guess that is the price of fame.

I arrive back at my house at 7:30 having ran two laps around the park outside my house, I down a glass of water and head back upstairs to my room. I enter silently, Neal is still snoring loudly in my bed, his naked ass poking out from under the bed sheets. I slip into the en suite bathroom, turn on the tap in the shower, strip down my clothes and slide into the shower. Rinsing down my body I enjoy the feeling of the near scalding water rolling down my skin, cleaning my hair quickly I rinse out the suds. Standing silently under the spray I think over my conversation with Neal when I arrived home last night.

 

_“Neal is that you?” I shout stumbling through the dark hallway, hearing noises coming from my kitchen._

_“Yeah babe, I’m in the kitchen.” I walk through my house to the back where the kitchen is situated. Neal is sat on top of a counter, with a bowl of cereal in his hands- he smiles at me goofily with the spoon in his mouth. “Hey babe, you’re back later than I expected, I’ve been waiting up for you.” He hops down to his feet, striding a few feet towards me before pulling me by the arm to join him where he stands- enveloping me in a loose hug, his face leans down- lips searching out mine. I go to him easily, feeling relaxed and easy with the alcohol I consumed still strumming through my veins._

_“You didn’t have to you know,” I say once he moves back an inch._

_“Well I wanted to, I wanted to see you,” he looks at me, then release me from his arms. “Have you been drinking?”_

_“A little, I had a few drinks with the all the other contestants and dancers- you know, so I could get to know them all.”_

_“You should have sent me a text or something, I could have come and joined you guys.”_

_“Well it wasn’t really a plus one situation, just everyone on the show and some of the backstage crew as well.”_

_“Still I could have at least come to fetched you rather than you needing to get a taxi- you’re drunk, you shouldn’t have come home alone,” he says giving me a patronizing look._

_I pull further away from him, getting frustrated with his insinuations- I am starting to predict how the rest of this conversation is going to go. “I am not drunk Neal I’ve only had a few glasses of wine, and besides I’m a big girl I can get home by myself.”_

_“Was your partner there? What was his name Killian? Kian?”_

_“Yes of course Killian was there. I spent the evening getting to know him.” The look of shock on Neal’s face is obvious, “don’t look at me like that, you know I don’t mean in a biblical sense. We chatted and had a few drinks, so that when I have to dance with him tomorrow it won’t feel awkward.” I knew Neal would be like this, he has a strong possessive streak in his character-he won’t let me get close to any man. He was even wary of David when we first started dating, despite the fact that David was already married to my best friend- he still feels like he has to text me any time I am alone with David to check in on me. Which is ridiculous because David is more brother than lover to me._

_“Why are you seeing him tomorrow?”_

_What a stupid question- “because I am on a dance show that require me to learn a dance with my partner every week, Neal! We need to get started with our rehearsals, we only have 1 week till the first show.” I say starting to lose my temper with him. Neal was one of the reasons I questioned going on the show in the first place, I knew he wouldn’t be comfortable with me working so closely with another man. But I’ve learnt from experience that there is no point in shouting at him over this, he will just have to get used to me and Killian seeing each other a lot. Neal is sulking by this point, so he walked away, up the stairs to my bedroom._

_When I join him a few minutes later under the sheets he is turned away from me, we lie in silence whilst I scroll through my phone. Once I flick off the light next to me, he turns to me pulling my body towards him, kissing along the back of my neck. “I’m sorry,” he whisper into my skin. He is naked, I know exactly what he wants but I’m just not in the mood- I’m tired and I can feel a head ache blooming in my temples- but I concede to his attentions, not wanting to face yet another argument with him if I were to turn him away now._

I shiver as I recall last night, how I lay there letting Neal find his pleasure before I could fall into blissful sleep. I have been in the shower for a while now, my skin turning red from the heat of the spray. Switching off the tap, I step out of the cubicle to wrap myself in the warmth of a cotton towel. Neal is awake when I leave the bathroom, sitting up in bed, “Morning babe,” he yawns at me.

I look at him with a weak smile, “Good morning to you too.”

“How long you been up?” he asks.

Busy trying to find a clean pair of sports leggings I reply, “An hour or so, already been for my run.” I bend over rummaging in my draw, spotting what I am looking for- I drop my towel, finding a pair of panties and sliding then up my body into place. I catch a glimpse of Neal in the mirror I am stood in front of, he is half hard and lazily stroking his cock. “Really Neal?” I interrogate in an exasperated manner. “I’m trying to get ready and you jerking off to me dressing isn’t helping!” I stare at him in the mirror keeping my back to him.

“Don’t worry Ems no need for you to join in, I’m happy going solo with the show you are putting on for me right now,” he says with a salacious smile pulling at his cheeks. “I just can’t help it, you’re so hot and from where I’m sat your ass looks amazing!” At his last comment, I roll my eyes at him, pick up my clothes and stomp away to the en suite to dress. Sometimes I swear I am dating a man with the libido of a teenage boy. 

Neal come down for breakfast just as I am leaving for Killian’s house. “I’ll see you later Neal, are you going to be staying here all day?”

“Yeah, I’ll probably stay in all day, I have some scripts my agent wants me to look over.”

“Okay, well I’ll send you a text later to let you know what I’ll be doing this afternoon.”

“Good,” he says walking straight past me at the door, heading for the kitchen.

“Well I’ve got to go, bye.” I call back as I pull the door behind me shut. Neal yells what I presume to be his goodbye through the closed door as I make my way down my front steps to my car.

-

I arrive at the address Killian gave me- it doesn’t look like a dance studio at all, it’s just a regular house- I ring the door bell, moments later Graham answers the door. “Emma, hey! Killian is still upstairs showering, he’ll be down in a few minutes.” He invites me in shutting the door behind me. We are stood in a small porch way, he takes my coat and offers me a drink- I decline, raising my bottle of water I hold in my hand to him. “So how are you? Hope you didn’t drink too much last night like Killian.”

“No I’m fine thanks, how about you?” I reply.

“Nothing to complain about, Killian on the other hand woke up with a rather nasty headache- which I presume he probably has Captain Morgan to blame for.” Last night Killian had drank an unhuman quantity of rum, but somehow wasn’t affected by it at all at the time- it would seem that the effects caught up on him in the night while he slept.

“If you follow me, I’ll show you to the dance studio,” Graham offers with a warm smile.

“Sure.” I follow him through a door on our right that opens out directly into a dance studio.  From what I can tell they have had the entire bottom floor of their house converted into a ballroom dance floor. “Woah!” I exclaim, “I was not expecting this. So where do you guys actually live then?”

“Kitchen, living space and bathroom are all on the middle floor and our bedrooms are on the top floor.” Graham replies, gesturing with his hands to the ceiling above us. “When we moved in, this floor had a third bedroom and a dining room- we scrapped it all, pulling the floors up and laying the dance floors- did it all ourselves.” He finishes with a gracious smile.

“Wow! Good dancers _and_ handy men- every woman’s dream,” I comment with humour in my voice, he laughs along with me, shaking his head at my joke.

“Well I have to get going- I was just on my way out to meet Merida and get started with our rehearsals,” he tells me, starting to walk backwards towards the door we had just come through. “I’ll see you soon, Emma.” He disappears through the door and I can hear the sound of his quick steps bouncing up the stairs followed by muffled voices, he must be speaking with Killian upstairs. Moments later I can hear him stomp down the stairs and leaving the house.

Now alone in the room I move to dump my bag in the corner then inspect myself in the wall length mirror. Stood nearly nose to nose with my reflection I inspect my face, the dark circles under my eyes the only indication of my late night, standing out boldly from my commonly pale complexion. _Not looking my best I have to admit_. My attention is grasped by the door Graham had just departed through as it swings open, Killian strolling through it towards me. “Hello love,” he grins at me. He’s dressed in a black shirt open at the neck and dress trousers- quite smart really, entirely the opposite to my own outfit consisting of running leggings and a white baggy top over my sports bra. I have to admit he looks pretty damn good. He walks to the mirror I stand in front of, turns to face me and leaning against the mirror he slides down. With knees bent looking up at me, he invites me to join him on the floor. “So we need to get a schedule together that works for both of us- incorporating a day in which the camera team can come in and do their thing.”

We spend the next half hour sat on the floor hashing out a weekly plan, when we will rehearse, when I can have down time, social time and when he needs to do other rehearsals without me. The majority of my week will be spent with Killian in the studio it seems, which will be worth it. I know Neal won’t be overly pleased with the amount of time I am dedicating to Killian and the show, but he will understand- I’ve made a commitment which I am going to see out to the end, however long that may be.

“Right Swan, let’s get to it then- up you get.” He unfolds his legs and rises to his feet, “the first thing we need to establish is posture and hold, it is the key to any good routine, the Charleston included.” I jump up and stand facing him eager to start my first routine. Stepping close to me he claims my left hand placing it on his right shoulder, holding onto my right in a firm grip. “Now I am going to let go and step back- but I want you to keep this hold with your arms up, OK?” I give a silent nod to affirm my understanding and he steps backwards out of my hands. Slowly walking around me he observes my stance and posture, “Good- we can work with this.” He places the flat of his palm against my stomach pushing into my skin ever so slightly. I can feel the warmth of his skin through the thin material of my top- it is comforting and encouraging in a way I can’t quite describe- my eyes meet his as he begins to speak again. “Now breathe in, lift your rib cage and use these stomach muscles to keep this position” Tapping my flat stomach lightly, he then slides his hands up my body along my sides to my shoulders. “Relax your shoulders,” I do as he says lowering my shoulders, “but don’t slouch, keep them up and back.” With difficulty I try and follow his directions- not quite being able to understand the two instructions he had given me which entirely juxtapose each other.

“Because that totally makes sense doesn’t it?” I remark sarcastically.

“Just don’t tense up, your arms will need to move easily- so allow your shoulders and back freedom- don’t be stiff.” He tells me as he begins to knead his thumbs into the tight muscles of my shoulder. My breathe catches in my throat as his fingertips skim over the bare skin of my neck. A shudder runs down my spine which is chased by Killian’s soft hands as he works them down my back.

“What are you doing?” I ask him warily.

“Trying to help you relax, isn’t that obvious.” Relaxed is not quite the word I should use to describe the effect he is having on my body, quite the contrary really- the longer his hands are in contact with my body, the more wound up and tighter I feel.  His hands reach my waist, “Swan I said relax not tense- now breathe out all the tension in your back.” I huff out a loud rush of breath to display I was following his instructions, which seemed to please him somehow, “You sound like a toddler having a tantrum- was my massage really that bad?” he tittered.

I’m being stupid, I don’t know why I am letting his touch affect me so strangely. I need to get used to it, if I don’t this is going to be a very awkward ordeal of having to dance with him. “No, sorry. I just had a rough night sleep,” I drop my hands from the position Killian had left them in and turn to face him, “I find it hard to relax when I don’t get enough sleep.”

“Well then if you aren’t getting enough sleep when you are at home do we need to factor naps into our weekly schedule- because we can’t have these tense shoulders of yours on the dance floor?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

Shaking my head at his comment with a superficial laugh, “I wish,” I raise my arms and resume my hold, “no- we only have 6 days to learn this dance, I don’t want to waste them on sleep.”

Killian eyes me warily clearly questioning my logic. After a moment of silence and a stretch of eye contact that was entirely unnatural he steps close allowing me to place my hands where he had shown me. “So the Charleston” he begins, “is a dance which requires you to be very light on your feet, it is quick, slick and above all you have to have fun doing it.” He gives me a broad grin as he straighten into hold with me, clutching my right hand and placing his hand on my waist. “The basic premise of this first step is- when I step forward you step back, trying to keep and equal distance between our feet at all times.” Finished with talking for now, he starts to move guiding my body to how I should be dancing. Following what he says, when he steps forward on his left foot my right foot takes a step back and the same when he steps forward on the other foot. “Brilliant Swan, you are a natural!” He keeps moving, his feet returning backward only for mine to follow. He repeats this action over and over again, drilling this simple step into my feet- every step he takes I do the opposite- simple! “Well done, you’re doing fantastically. Next we just need to make you look less like a robot who is stuck in a continuous step loop.” Letting go of my hands he strides a few paces away from me, “Now when you do it this time, add a twist to the foot which is remaining still.” He demonstrates his idea, swivelling his ankle of his stationary foot as the other one kicks forward and back. His face lights up in a comic over exaggerated smile and his arms hold on to an imaginary partner, “I won’t force it out of you today Swan, but come Saturday night your face will be as happy as mine is.”

I laugh at that, like seriously laugh- he looks hilarious. Killian’s face is sharp and beautiful, which looks much more natural with a pout or sly smirk rather than a cheesy all teeth mad grin. I can’t help the giggles that escape my mouth, I turn away to try and compose myself.

“Oi! I could take offence at all your laughing.” He says with no real annoyance in his voice.

Calming myself, “Sorry, it’s just that smile does not suit you.”

“Ouch Swan, are you saying I don’t look devilishly handsome when I smile?”

“No, I’m saying that smile of yours is better placed on a chorus girl in a musical.”

“So you do think I am devilishly handsome then?” he asks raising an eyebrow.

I don’t warrant his remark with a reply, simply rolling my eyes and turning to my bag to get a drink.

“Have I tired you out already Swan?” he calls over to me, I can hear the smirk in his voice.

I grab my bottle taking a few sips, I glance at my phone in my bag noticing I have 2 messages from Neal the first asking where we keep the iron in the house. You would think he would be able to be left on his own for the day, but sometimes I swear I don’t have a boyfriend but a teenage son who needs my constant supervision. I don’t bother with replying or reading the other message- I’ll call him later.

“Right Swan, break time over we have barely just begun.”

-

Killian decides to draw our practice to a stop when my stomach starts to make an unearthly sound. We have been working for about 4 hours now and my body is beginning to slow and sway with my weariness. Killian has taught me an array of different steps, moves and techniques and has started to put them together into a basic routine. My muscles are beginning to ache from their continued use, but the feeling doesn’t discourage me, only reminding me that I am working hard and that I am making progress- or so Killian keeps reminding me. “I would offer for you to come up stairs and I’d rustle something up in the kitchen- but alas my kitchen is bare at the moment so we will have to venture out to find food.” Killian says to me as he puts on his coat. “That is unless you have other plans of course.”

I shake my head, “No, I’m available- I just need to ring my boyfriend quickly.”

“Sure, I’ll wait outside for you.” With that he steps out through the front door leaving me alone in the entrance hall of his house. I quickly dial my home number, it rings but eventually I hear my own voice speaking back to me as I reach my voice mail message, so I ring his mobile- which rings twice then goes to voice mail also. Why is he declining my calls? He must be busy I guess, which is odd because he is never busy- all he does these days is laze around my house, waiting to be offered a new job by his agent.  Frustrated I ring his mobile again but it goes directly to voice mail, what can he be doing that is so important that he can’t accept a call from me right now? Unsure of what to think I decide to ignore it till later, if he doesn’t want to answer then it is his fault if he doesn’t know my plans for the evening. I will be staying late with Killian till we have blocked out the entire of the routine. It will be tiring but I’m sure it will help in the long run if we get the basic routine down now then we can add more to it and perfect it over the coming days. Putting thoughts of Neal to the back of my mind I place my phone into my pocket, pull on my coat and step out to meet Killian.  

“Ready love?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, just to clarify I don't hate Neal and I am not claiming he raped Emma in any way.  
> I loved Neal on the show, but for the sake of my story I am not going to portray him in the best light.  
> In this fic I expect him to be the worlds lousiest and worst boyfriend, he isn't an awful human being- just not someone who is entirely compatible with Emma... but I will leave it at that for now and let you learn more in the coming chapters.  
> PS- hope you enjoy and stick with me through this fic. Thanks for reading :)


	3. Lunch Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for continuing to read, means a lot to me to know people are reading. Just to let you know- this is unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own, and probably due to my poor spelling or grammatical skills.   
> Anyway- I hope you enjoy.

“Ready love?”

“Sure, got anywhere in mind?”

“I do in fact- a café round the corner from here, they do the best muffins,” he replies.

“Sounds great. As long as they give me food I will be happy.”

“Don’t worry Swan, I’ll look after you and make sure you are fed. I don’t want you passing out in my studio due to hunger, I’d probably get fired from the show for working you too hard.”

We set off along the road making our way to the café. When we arrive we are welcomed by a smiling face from behind the bar, “Killian how are you?” an elderly man calls over to us. The man is clearly pleased to see Killian, stepping out from behind the bar to greet him with a hug and pat on Killian’s shoulders. “So who is this lovely angel you have brought in today then?” he asks looking in my direction.

“Geppetto this is Emma, she is my latest dance partner on Strictly.” Killian informs him gesturing in my direction. “Emma this is Geppetto, my…” he pauses a moment and clearly considers his words “a dear friend of mine.”

I stick my hand out to shake, but am surprised when Geppetto reaches past my hand to place both his hands on my shoulders leaning in planting a kiss on both of my cheeks. “It is a pleasure to meet you Emma!” he says with a great smile.

“Pleased to meet you too.” Killian then takes my arm and pulls me towards a booth in the corner of the café. “He seems friendly, have you known him a long time?” I ask intrigued into Killian’s relationship with the older man.

“Pretty much my whole life really.”

“Oh, are you related? I don’t see much of a family resemblance if you ask me,” I remark glancing at Geppetto to see if he has any of Killian’s characteristic charm.

“Might as well be, he is what you might call a surrogate father to me,” he tells me scratching behind the back of his ear, his eyes hopping around the room and settling on Geppetto. I could tell it was a rather uncomfortable matter for Killian to talk about, it was obviously a very personal topic- something I am not entitled to be questioning him on after only having known him two days.

I change the topic- “So what are you going to order?”

“My special of course!” he says with a growing smirk on his face he hands me the menu and waits for me to read over the list. My eyes scan the two pages of food- and there at the bottom of the sandwich section is ‘The Captain’s Club’. Killian stares at me over the top of the menu, biting his bottom lip in what seems to be an attempt not to split his face in two with the shit eating grin on his face.

“The Captain of the Dance Floor- how did you even get a nickname like that?”

His self satisfied smile diminishes at my question, “Well- uhh- before I landed my role on the Strictly dance floor I had to make money some other way. I own a ship which I used to run tours along the Thames on- part of the deal was I sailed along giving a tour, they had a meal on the river by the London Eye and then I would put on a dance show. Well when I became popular on the show, the papers dug into my past and ran a story on me- releasing photos of me in my captains uniform doing a routine on the deck, with the headline- The Captain of the Dance Floor- and the name just kind of stuck.”

“So they just posted some pictures of you doing a bit of ballroom- so what? You do that every day still.” He is lying to me, I know he is- or at least holding out on the truth.

“I never said anything about ballroom, Swan, I said dancing.” He lowers his voice a little and leans in closer to me across the table.

“Have I told you yet that I always know when someone is lying to me-” I warn him, hoping he will understand my hint to spill his secret.

“I’m not lying Swan, I did run a business of organised boat trips, with dinner and dancing,” he pauses for a moment, “but I also ran a side business of night time cruises.” Looking into my eyes to gauge my reaction he continues, “My skills were mostly hired out by groups of women on hen do’s and bachelorette parties…”

My head tilts in slight confusion, waiting for him to go on- then the penny drops. “You were a stipper!” I shout before bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Alright love, keep your voice down, I don’t want the whole neighbourhood knowing.” He hisses at me. “Besides, have a little compassion- it was the first time I had ever been in the papers, and it was a blurred out picture of my bare arse. It was traumatic!”

“Believe me, the media can do a lot worse than sharing a few pictures of you dancing.”

“Oh really? So what’s the worst news article posted about you been then?” he challenges me.

I think about his question for a moment, there is an obvious answer- not that I am going to tell him anything about that part of my life, he doesn’t need to know about it, no one does. “I’ve had break ups plastered on every magazine cover, outfit malfunctions, speculation on whether I’m gay- I mean what does it even matter if I am or not! There have been lots of articles about my body- if I eat too much I am pregnant, but if I go on a diet then I am apparently on the downward spiral into depression and anorexia. I have been dragged through the dirt on any role I accept in movies, and if I my character on ONCE does something which is slightly unexpected then the journalists think it is my fault.” I pause for a breath, “And every time I step out with a man who is someone other than my boyfriend, be it a friend, stranger or colleague- I am accused of having an affair.”

He stares at me blankly, obviously unsure of how to process and respond to my onslaught of an answer, he says plainly- “I’m sorry Swan, they can be real monsters, no one should have to face that sort of public humiliation.”

Staring past his face I say, “Yeah, well, I know.” But he doesn’t even know the half of it, the pain I have been through at the hand of journalists and the media- their intrusions they have made into my life. Where ever I go I am usually photographed, at least while I stay in England I am a little less known and can go to most places unnoticed- though I’m sure that will soon change once this series of Strictly kicks off.

Killian begins to shake his head and huffs out a dry laugh, “You make my stripper story seem quite tame really.” I give him a tight smile, shrugging my shoulders as if to say “ _what can you do_ ”.

Suddenly I notice Geppetto standing next to us at the end of our booth - I hadn’t noticed him appear, he moves like a silent ghost. “So what can I get you two then?” he asks in a deeply Italian accented voice.

Killian, breaking his dark stare, goes to speak- probably going to dismiss the man as we haven’t had a chance to fully read the menus yet but I interrupt him, ordering two Captain Clubs and drinks.

“Excellent choice!” Geppetto says with a small flourish of his hand in the air and a wink in Killian’s direction that I’m not sure if I was supposed to see, he then walks away to start preparing out food.

At this moment my phone alerts me to a new message, I pull it out of my pocket to see what it says, it is from Neal, with simply an internet link followed by some question marks as the text. I click on it and wait for the page to load, when it finally does I scroll past the ads and see that it is _Hello!_ Magazines webpage- _great_.

**_TV Star Falls Head Over Heels For Her Dance Partner!_ **

A groan escapes my lips as I notice a screen shot picture of me when I fell over on last night’s show- I’m down on hands and knees looking up at Killian, with my ass sticking out and a ridiculous look of shock on my face.

“Something the matter love?” Killian asked clearly intrigued to what I had just read to warrant that sort of reaction. I simply hand him my phone, “Ah I see,” he says once his eyes have ran over the screen.

I don’t mind the article, it is just mindless words talking about the show- someone trying to earn their pay check, but the photo is awful and embarrassing. The other issue I have is the headline- I know that’s why Neal sent it to me, he’s asking me why they have insinuated that I am in love with Killian and that I won’t be able to resist his charm. As if I had a hand in writing the article, jotting down my own feelings for everyone to read- No! Why is he such a dumb idiot sometimes!? I ignore the message for now, I try to change the subject of conversation- but Killian speaks before I can, “Who even sent this to you? Why would they want to rub this in your face?”

I inwardly groan, “Neal.”

“Your boyfriend!?” he squeaks in shock, confusion riddled across his face.

“Yeah he probably thought it would be funny.” I tell him, not wanting to tell him that Neal sent it to me because he was a possessive buffoon. I don’t know why it bothers him so much, he should understand the crap the media can make up.

“Doesn’t seem very funny to me,” Killian says.

“Well that’s Neal for you, he can find humour in all situations,” I reply dryly.

“How long have you two been together?” There is an odd tone to his question which I try to ignore, as if he’s testing me, judging my answer.

“Two years, on and off.” I try to sound as firm as I can with my answer, sure that if I appear confident with what I say then there will be no room for Killian to question my relationship.

“On and off?”

“Neal can be hard to live with sometimes, when we started off trying to live together in Vancouver we got in a lot of fights for various reasons- we broke up for a while.”

“So he moved here with you to London then?”

Jeez, what is with his inquisition- “No, I’m living here for a few months before I go back to Vancouver to begin filming again- Neal is just visiting while he has no work.” Neal has been in London now for nearly 3 weeks staying in my house, he hasn’t done much really other than read a few scripts and hang around my house all day. I didn’t mind at first, but now that I’m going to be busy all the time with rehearsals we are barley going to even see each other- I’m not sure what the point is to him being here. “He will probably return to New York soon,” I tell Killian.

“He’s an actor too?” Killian is being persistent with his questions.

“Yes, we met on ONCE. He was a guest star, he asked me out on a date I said yes and then we went on from there.”

Killian’s questions seem to have stopped, he is silent for a while, as if he is mulling over all my answers - analysing them. He was brooding and clearly not happy with what I had said. I distract myself by picking at a piece of non-existent lint on my leggings, feeling the slight awkward silence that had descended upon us. I don’t know why he would be so upset with what I have to say about Neal, sure he is a bit of a sucky boyfriend- but that shouldn’t have to affect Killian. When I look up again Killian is staring directly at me, his blue eyes studying and analysing my face, looking for some clue I am unaware of. They bore into me, almost as if they are digging into my very soul- and what he is finding there clearly troubles him. A frown is marring his usually happy feature, his brows pinched together like they might do if he were in pain.

We are interrupted by Geppetto placing our food on the table, “Enjoy!” he voices before making a quick exit away from us- even he could feel the tension rolling off of Killian. We spend a few minutes eating a silence, remarking on how good the food was every now and then. When our plates are empty Killian pulls out his wallet and places a few notes on the table before standing from his seat. I look at him confused, for a moment I thought the tension had gotten too much for him and he was going to walk out on me, before I realise that he was gesturing for me to join him.

“Time to get back to the studio and get our dance shoes back on,” he is finally smiling again as he extends his hand to me to join him standing. Our conversation on the walk back was based around dancing and the show- topics which feel a little safer than Neal.

 

We work for another four hours after lunch, Killian drilling my feet to learn every step and teaching my arms the exact positions they should always be in. By seven thirty I am exhausted and lying flat on the floor looking fixedly at the ceiling, we have completed the routine in what Killian refers to as the most basic format- which I don’t quite believe, I have learnt nothing today that I would consider to be basic. “If this is how I feel after one rehearsal, I dread to think how I will survive a week let alone the whole season.” I voice my mind aloud to Killian who is sat up next to me on the floor.

“You’ll get used to it quickly enough,” he responds, “besides the first is always the hardest, you worked really hard today though.” I roll my head to the side and meet his gaze which always seems to be locked on my face whenever I am not paying attention, he gives me a tight smile, “at least we’ve set the routine now- the rest of the week should be fairly easy in comparison.”

“Sure, I’ll believe that when I see it,” I reply in a tone that tells him I will not be believing him anytime soon. 

We fall into a comfortable silence, unlike the one we experienced earlier at lunch, my heavy breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall the only sound to remind me that time wasn’t in fact frozen still.

Laying there I take deep breaths to lower my still slightly raised heart rate, when Killian decides to speak again- “I… I have a show tomorrow,” he pauses, thinking through what he is going to say, “Well it’s a competition actually. I’ll be performing the Charleston as part of my set.”

“Good luck, I’m sure you’ll do great.” I say trying to fill the silence he leaves when talking.

“Thanks. I was thinking you could come along to see, it would be good for you to witness some live performances of the dance.” I sit up as he is talking and pay attention. “If you are free, obviously,” he finishes shyly. He is scratching behind his ear again, in what I can only describe as a cute nervous tick. “Graham will be there too, so you won’t be on your own and other people from the show I’m sure…” he rambles on. It’s strange for such a confident man, he becomes a real nervous wreck when he is unsure on a matter- it’s kind of cute really, it’s clear he really wants me to come.

“Sure, I’d love to come, sounds like a fun evening,” I say to reassure his sudden nerves.

A beaming smile breaks out on his face, “Great I’ll text you through the details.”

“Awesome, I look forward to it.” I glance at the clock again, and decide it is probably time to go for now. “I should get going, its getting kind of late.” I say moving to stand, but before I can Killian jumps to his feet and lays out his hand for me to take. “Such a gentleman,” I say with a light laugh as I take his proffered hand. 

“I’m always a gentleman.” He tells me, all traces of his nerves from moments ago gone, replaced with his ever present smirk. He gives me a sharp tug and I am pulled to my feet, but I lose my footing and go crashing into his firm chest. I look up at him, my hand grasping at his shirt to keep myself from falling and making an idiot of myself again. “Sorry” I gasp out through a lump in my throat. Killian’s hands are at my waist holding me steady, they squeeze my skin lightly for a second, he’s looking down at me with his questioning look again- as if he doesn’t quite understand my existence- then before I know it he is stepping away and releasing me from his grasp.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning then?” he asks his voice husky.

“Yes, I will be here in the morning.”

“Good.” He walks with me to the front door and helps me into my coat, _ever the gentleman_ , then I find myself just standing there waiting. I have everything I needs and am ready to go, but I find myself just standing waiting for his next move- as if I shouldn’t leave just yet. Then before I can figure out what I am waiting for, he pulls me into a hug- it is an all-consuming hug, his broad arms enveloping me in a comforting embrace that warms me to the bone.  I take a deep breath inhaling his fragrance- it is spicy and sweet at the same time, with not a trace of sweat on him, as if he hadn’t just spent the whole day dancing. That thought make me become very aware that I must stink after the training I have done today, I begin to pull away from him but he holds me close for a moment longer. “You are going to do well I can tell, just keep working hard” he whispers and then releases me.

“Thanks,” I say quietly, not quite sure how to respond to his comment.

“I’m serious Swan, after today I can tell that you are a winner. And you know what, I’m a winner too.” He continues in his low voice. Stepping further away he gives me a nod and moves to open the door for me. He waits at the door till I am within my car and out of the cold.

I pull out my phone to ring Neal and let him know I am on my way home when I notice 6 missed calls from him- _shit!_ I ring him back quickly, he answers on the first ring. “Emma, where are you?”

“I’m just leaving Killian’s studio, I’ll be home soon.”

“You’re still with him? Why have you been with him all this time?” he demands.

“I’m not with him right now- I’m in the car on the way home,” I respond defensively.

“Why have you been with him all this time, you haven’t picked up any of my calls, you’ve not text me at all today- why?” He is clearly angry, which is something I can’t deal with over the phone.

“We’ll talk when I get home- see you soon Neal.” I say curtly then disconnect the call.

I decide to take the long route home, trying to avoid the inevitable fight with Neal. While I drive my mind reflects on my day’s rehearsal and Killian’s final words to me this evening- he’s right I am a winner, when I want to be at least. When I want something I try hard to get it- and if I fail I will try again- that is a lesson I learnt at a young age. But it seems these days, when it comes to Neal I never win, I will always loose no matter what.

When I arrive home Neal is waiting in my living room for me, sat on the edge of the sofa he stands up as I step into the room. “Where have you been Emma?”

“I told you, I was at the studio learning the routine.” He answer, trying to keep my cool with him.

“Surely you couldn’t have been there all day, it’s nearly 9 o’clock?” he asks as if the mere thought of me working hard all day was entirely alien to him.

“We went out to lunch hours ago, but other than that we have been rehearsing all day- we’ve only just finished the routine.” I don’t see why I should have to justify my answers, but I find myself doing so anyway. “We wanted to finish most of the routine today, so that I won’t have to stay late other days,” I finish.

He eyes me sternly, “so you went on a date with him?”

 _What!?_ “No! We were hungry and had to eat, we grabbed a sandwich that’s all.” I don’t know why I even bother explaining to him, he won’t see it any other way. “You are being ridiculous.”

“I’m being ridiculous!?” he splutters back to me. “I rang you 6 times and you didn’t pick up, what were you doing?” he growls at me.

“Rehearsing! I didn’t have my phone on me at all the past fe-”

He cuts me off before I can finish, “So while you are off with some dancer guy all day ignoring me- what am I supposed to think?” he says coldly, his voice calm.

“I don’t know… that I’m working maybe?!” I snap back at him. “After all Neal, that’s what I am doing- it’s my job to be on this show and that involves hours of rehearsals, like any other job I might have. You know that.”

“But you never ignore me the whole day when you are on set, why did you today?” I can hear the unsaid question which would follow his train of thought, are _you cheating on me_?

“I didn’t ignore you, I rang you, twice and you declined my call.” I throw back at him, angry at what he is insinuating.

Neal goes quiet, this is the longest he has been silent since I walked through the door. His eyes fall to the floor, “I was busy, I had a meeting with my agent.” He whispers out gruffly.

He’s lying to me, I know he is. “So busy that you couldn’t take one quick call from your girlfriend?” I ask knowing full well I wouldn’t get a reply from him. He grumbles some unknown words at me. “Whatever Neal- I’m too tired for this today, I’m going to bed.” At that I turn and leave the room, climbing stairs that feel more like a mountain on my tired legs. I collapse on my bed too bone weary to even bother changing out of my dance clothes.

Despite my tiredness I lay awake for hours in my bed, dwelling over my argument with Neal, his paranoid feelings about me and Killian, why he would automatically presume I was cheating on him after knowing Killian for all of two days. But more importantly I was trying to think up excuses for why he would lie to me about where he was today. Neal doesn’t come to bed that night, leaving me alone to ruminate over our argument until sleep finally claims me in the early hours of the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry I haven't added any more to this story in so long, but life got in the way. You might notice that I am not very good at giving regular updates, which I apologise for but cant imagine that changing anytime soon. I write when I get inspiration, and that hasn't come to me lately.   
> I do plan on writing and completing this fic, it just might take a while. I have been bitten by the writing bug at the moment, so hopefully you'll get some more updates soon. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

The next day I leave my house to meet Killian before Neal even wakes up, he never came to bed last night and I found him past out on the sofa this morning. Due to my late night argument with Neal, I couldn’t manage to pull myself from the sheets this morning for my daily run- which is the first in a long time. So I decide to run to Killian’s instead of taking my car today to rehearsals. The weather is getting colder by the day, but after a few minutes of pounding the pavements I am sufficiently warmed up so I won’t freeze before I arrive at his house.

Forty two minutes exactly after shutting my front door I arrive at Killian’s house, I am a little early and find myself having to wait for someone to answer the door, I had underestimated how quickly I could run here. I pound my fist on the door, begging to be let in from the cold which is biting at my skin as I wait- my feet are cold; my lungs burning from the scathing ice in the air. When the door finally opens I am confronted by a bare chested Killian- he looks somewhat confused.

“You’re early,” he states simply. He stands still, blocking my entrance into his warm home with an arm against the door frame.

“Yeah I know, but will you let me in already- it’s freezing out here!” I plead, eager to feel the warmth he is obviously been experiencing in his home- if his bare chest was any indication.

“Sorry, of course come in,” he rushes, stepping aside to allow me entrance. He watches me as I rush past him and directly to the nearby radiator- leaning against it and rubbing my hands along the heated metal. “Are you ok Swan? You seem…” he pauses, trying to choose his words carefully.

“Cold,” I supply for him.

“I was going to say agitated, but cold works too. What’s with the rush this morning, did you run here or something?” he chuckles.

“Yep,” I answer.

Killian tilts his head to the side, the look of confusion he is sporting only becoming deeper ingrained in his face. “Why on earth did you run here? Was yesterday’s rehearsal not tiring enough for you?”

Finally feeling like my fingers weren’t about to fall off I reply, “I needed to clear my head.” I know it is a vague answer, but it is all I can manage right now- if I start talking about Neal now then I won’t stop ranting for the next hour.

“Boyfriend issues?”

My head flicks in his direction, shocked. I try to play down my emotions as if he hadn’t just hit the nail on the head- “yeah something like that I guess.” But the look on my face must be a far cry from the nonchalance I was aiming for, the true intrigue I feel at his question shining through.

“Call it intuition love,” he tells me. Then he turns and starts to make his way back upstairs, I stand still deciding to wait for him to come back before going into the studio. “Well are you coming?” he calls back to me halfway up the stairs, looking back at me with his eyebrow quirked upwards. “If you haven’t noticed I am not entirely ready for your company yet,” he gestures to his naked torso, “and it looks like you could still use with some warming up.” I chase up the stairs after Killian’s footsteps, reaching the landing I follow him into the first door on the left which leads into a kitchen and living space area.

“Make yourself at home,” he says indicating to the sofa. It is hot in here, I had been wondering why Killian would be wondering around on a cold morning in October in nothing but a pair of trousers- this would explain why, he has his house heated to 100 degrees plus! I decline his offer of the sofa and perch myself on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. I watch him as he fills the kettle at the sink and moves to put it on to boil, then calmly moving around the kitchen. The muscles in his back are relaxed, as is the rest of his body, pulling tight across his shoulders as he reaches up into the cupboard above his head. I have to admit he has an amazing body to match his near perfect face, body lean with toned muscles and an unsurprisingly perky ass. You can tell he lives an actively lifestyle and not just a weightlifting meat head at the gym- every inch of his boy in perfect proportion to the rest. Wide shoulders leading down to thick sculpted arms, hanging loosely at a trim and tight waist- he looks amazing. “Tea or coffee?” he asks turning around to face me again- holding up a jar of both I each hand.

I can feel the blush clawing up my cheeks as I’m caught staring unabashedly at his body, “coffee please,” I cough out, quickly trying to distracted my attention elsewhere. He observes me a few moments more then opens up one of the jars and starts spooning its contents into a cup he has laid out ready. I breathe a sigh of relief that he didn’t challenge my plain ogling of his body. I try to change the topic, “so what time do we need to finish today again, I forgot?”

With his usual self-confident smile plastered on his face he replies- “Around 1, Milah will be arriving at 1:30 to have a final rehearsal before this evening.”

“Uh huh…” I answer lamely, unsure of what more I should say. My eyes fall into the trap of moving down his body again inspecting his front half with as much pleasure I did the reverse. This is ridiculous, you would think I have never seen a man topless before the way I am behaving.

Once he had mixed all the components into the cups, he passes one over to me taking his own between his hands and then bends down leaning his forearms on the table top. Sipping my drink I sit quietly, my eyes roaming around the room, absorbing my new surroundings. Killian is watching me, I am acutely aware of his eyes studying me sat in his kitchen, I try hard to avoid his gaze as my eyes dart around the room.

“So…” he begins, trailing off with nothing to say.

I cut off his train of thought, “Do you always wonder around half naked when you have guests in your house?” the words rush out of my mouth before I think twice about them. I’m not really looking for an answer from him, just trying to make a point- and address the elephant in the room that I was previously trying to avoid at all cost. But somehow he isn’t even phased by my question, his toothy grin only broadening, his tongue slipping between his teeth and running along his bottom lip. My retinas follow the small movement along his lips- it is shameful how captivated I become for the split second, not able to focus on anything else in the room- their smooth movement as they glide and shape around every word he says. 

Suddenly I realise he is actually talking, “Sorry love, I didn’t realise I was distracting you so much,” he says biting his bottom lip between his teeth- fully aware that he was distracting me.

Snapping my head out of my reverie I tell him, “well can you just go and put a top on then,” I pick up my drink again and take a long swallow, “please?” I finish looking back up to his face.

“As you wish,” he says with a mocking bow. He then strides out the kitchen and up another flight of stairs which takes him to his bedroom.

While he is gone, I feel a rush of relief and tension leave my body- I didn’t realise I was so on edge while we had been conversing. This is ridiculous, I don’t know why he is having such an effect on me, sure he is hot and has an amazing body- that is something most women in Britain know- but why am I acting like a teenage girl when I’m around him. I’ve worked with loads of desirable men, that’s the nature of acting- it is practically in the job description for the men to be good looking! There is just something about Killian that gets under my skin. It’s hard when he behaves the way he does not to just flirt right back at him, he knows it is harmless- I have Neal after all.

When he returns he is fully attired in long shorts and a low cut baggy black tank top, it still leaves the majority of his chest on display, “that’s a bit better, I guess,” I say as he walks towards me with his arms open leaving his newly clothed form to be approved.

“I’m glad you approve,” he replies, in his hand he is carrying a bag which he throws over to me when he is a little closer. “These are for you,” he explains coming back to the table and downing the rest of his cooled coffee, I follow his lead and drink up.

Once finished I open the small bag and find a pair of slim heels, “You got me a pair of dance shoes?” I ask, feeling touched by his offering.

“Uhr- no. They are from the TV studio, you need to practice dancing in high heels.”

“Oh,” my nice thought that he had actually got me a present is broken, “of course, how could I forget- especially after the fool I made of myself the other day on national live TV.”

“Don’t worry Swan, no one will remember that when they see how well you dance in them,” he encourages me. I slip my trainers off and pull the new shoes onto my feet, admiring them from my seated position. “Right, you ready to get started then?” he asks.

“Sure, let’s get to it Captain,” jumping down from my seat I lead the way down stairs, the satisfying sound of my heels as I go down the stairs helps me get into my dancing character.

We rehears what we learnt yesterday for 2 hours, by the time we took our first break I was confident that I had gotten to grips with the main steps of the routine. During our break Killian shows me a clip on his phone of a couple doing a Charleston dance- indicating a particular move he wants us to try out.

“No way!” I declare. “I am not going to do that.”

“Why not? It is safe and you have the ability,” Killian tries to sooth my worries.

“Have the ability?! Killian I have been dancing for 2 days, I have no ability in ballroom dance other than what we did yesterday. I will end up flat on my face! And even if I don’t it is a ridiculous move,” I clarify to him.

“No you won’t I will hold on to you, we will practice first with the mats then when you are more confident we can take them away.” He says entirely ignoring what I said about the move looking stupid. Putting his phone away he moves to the other side of the room opening a door that leads to the storage room, he goes inside for a moment and then exits dragging a huge crash mat behind him. He lays it flat in the centre of the room and moves to stand on top of it, waving me over to join him. “Come on Swan at least give it a try.”

“Fine, but if I die from a broken neck- this is on you, ok?” I state, only half joking.

“Ok, I take full responsibility for any damage done to you whilst you aren’t firmly stood on two feet,” he replies, happy that I was even joining in with his idea.

Stood on the mat with him he aligns our bodies so that I am stood with my back to him, his hands are at my waist, “Place your hands on my wrists, ok?” I do as he tells me, “now, I just want you to jump as high as you can, use your arms as well as your legs. I will lift you at the same time, so you should go pretty high.” I process what he says for a moment, making sure I follow his instructions fully. “After three - 1, 2, 3…” I jump up as Killian lifts me from the waist, when I land my feet sink into the mat and I fall forward. Before I crash to the floor, Killian tighten his grip on my waist and pulls me back towards him so that my back is flush against his front. He hold onto me for a moment, just absorbing the feeling of our bodies so close together- it is strange being this close to him but not being able to see his face. “Well done Swan,” he mutters in my ear. A shudder escapes me as his breath tickles the back of my neck, “But be careful with your landing next time,” his comment is spoken in a hushed tone, like it is a secret we share just between ourselves. “This time, like in the video, when you jump up you need to wrap your legs backwards and around my hips.”

The jumping was easy, this was the tricky bit I didn’t think I would be able to do. We stand how we did before, and on 3 he lifts me high into the air- I twist my legs backwards and round where his hips are- or at least where I think they are. I know I am clearly wrong however, when Killian lets out a strangled yelp and I fall face first onto the mat followed by Killian’s body landing splat on top of me. I let out a squeek at the impact. Laying in a heap, Killian swiftly rolls off of me, curling into a ball beside me. “You alright Swan?” he grits out.

My face smothered by the blue mat, “Yep, all good.” Rolling onto my back I let out a laugh- “You said you wouldn’t let me fall on my face,” I challenge with no real malice in my voice.

“Well I didn’t expect you to knee me in the nuts!” he says a little more firmly.

I quickly sit up and look over to him, he is curled up on his side cradling the abused area, “Oh my god, I am so sorry,” I can’t help the little laugh that trickles out from my lips, “is there anything I can do?” I say through my laughs, aware that there probably wasn’t.

“It’s not funny Swan, you have no idea how much it hurts.” He is clearly in pain, but doesn’t seem too angry towards me. I sit next to him on the mat for a few minutes as he recovers, then when he isn’t groaning quite so much he stands to get a drink from his bottle he had brought downstairs earlier. “Alright, you ready to try that again?” he asks.

“Are you sure you are?” I counter his question, adopting his signature eyebrow quirk as I question him.

Killian moves around, jumping up and down on the spot warming himself up to dance again, “Yes, let’s get to it!” he commands. I stand in my position on the mat and Killian holds me at the waist, “please try not to do that again, I mean- I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but _fuck it hurt like hell_ ” he warns me. “Now jump on three, ok? 1, 2, 3…” he lifts as I jump and I fly into the air swinging my legs backwards.

Clamping my thighs around his hips I lock my ankles together, “I did it!” I squeal with excitement losing my balance slightly- wobbling in my precarious position.

Killian tightens his hold on my body, pulling me backwards towards himself, “Steady love, well done,” he settles me, my grip a vice on his wrists. “Don’t worry I’ve got you, ease up your grip on my arms and slowly let go.”

“I can’t, I am going to fall down,” I whine to him.

“I promise you won’t, I am going to keep hold of you so you move down slowly- and besides that’s what the mat is for, in case you do slip.”

“Ok,” I affirm to myself as much as it was to him. Slowly I let go of his arms, wobbling a bit but gaining my balance after a beat. His hands lay against my stomach and as I lean forward he supports my body, moving me down slowly. When my hands get close to the floor he tells me to hold on to his ankles, then he starts to take a few steps backwards and forwards.

“Well done you’ve done it!” he cheers me on.

My legs start to ache due to my continuously strained pose and I become acutely aware of the position I have put myself in. My legs wrapped around Killian, with certain parts of mine very close to some inappropriate places of his. I knew when he had showed me that this would be the case but I was so occupied with getting the move right that I hadn’t even acknowledged how closely we are pushed together. This isn’t even the worst it gets, the video Killian showed me had the man playing the girls ass like bongos- which I’m still not sure I am comfortable with. If Neal could see us now, he would probably have a heart attack.

Killian breaks me from my thoughts, “next you have to release your legs and do a forward somersault. I am going to let go of you, so you have to support yourself with your hands.” I put one hand on the mat at a time, then gradually unwrap my legs, rolling forward I propel my body forward into a standing position. “Yes! You did it, well done!” Killian celebrates, I turn and he scoops me up in his arms lifting me off my feet in a bone crushing hug. I let out a shy laugh that develops into full belly laugh when he spins me on the spot, placing me back down he says, “See, I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.” He smiles broadly at me and straightens my ponytail lying haphazardly over my shoulder- his eyes softening as he touches me. “We just need to speed it up a little.”

We rehearse the lift over and over again, until I am confident with it and Killian is happy with my ability. We then fit it in with the rest of the routine, making sure we can flow easily in and out of the lift. We practice the routine with a few other little tricks included that add character and fun to the dance- I have to admit, now that I don’t feel like I will make such a fool of myself when performing the new tricks I begin to enjoy myself. As much as Killian is working me hard and pushing me to do my best, I am having a lot of fun, he is a great guy and is making sure I am having fun- which is easy when I’m in his company.

Before we know it Killian’s alarm is reminding us that is it time to stop for the day, “Ok we better stop for now then,” he tells me.

“Sure.” I reply moving to take off my dance shoes.

“You worked hard today Swan-”

I look over to him from my seat on the floor and give him a warm accepting smile, “Thanks,”

When we get to the door Killian suddenly remembers how I got here this morning, “Wait do you need a lift home?”

I consider his offer but decide to decline not wanting to get home too soon, “No its ok, I am going to go visit a friend who lives around these parts- it’s just a short walk from here.” There is no friend, I don’t have any friends here in England really- I just don’t want to admit to Killian that I don’t want to go home to spend time with my boyfriend.

“Ok, well I’ll see you tonight then,” it’s almost a question but not quite- as if he isn’t sure I will really turn up, I nod anyway to confirm I will be there.

 

I took my time walking home, expecting to have to face yet another row with Neal. But when I arrive home it is obvious after a quick search that Neal isn’t home- odd, where could he be? I didn’t think he had anything planned today. Oh well, at least it means I can relax for a few hours by myself. At that thought I decide to go run myself a bath and take my time in getting ready for this evening.


End file.
